Letter from The Victorian Society South Wales Group to Professor Mordaunt Crook about the redecoration of Cardiff Castle, Cardiff, 17 January 1980

Description

This letter details The Victorian Society South Wales Group's dislike of the redecoration of Cardiff Castle by the City of Cardiff Technical Services Department. The Society claims that the redecoration does not match the original decorations, the octagonal staircase and Entrance Hall in particular. The Society goes on to say that protests against the redecorations have occurred but have not been successful, and hopes that a protest coming from Professor Mordaunt Crook may have some impact.

The foundation of The Victorian Society began when Anne, Lady Rosse, inherited a well preserved family house at 18 Stafford Terrace, Kensington, after the death of her brother in 1946.

In 1957, she invited a group of 32 friends (who included John Betjeman and Nikolaus Pevsner), to consider creating a society for the preservation and appreciation of Victorian arts and architecture. The Victorian Society was founded in the same house, a year later.

From the beginning it was agreed that despite being called ‘The Victorian Society’, they would also include arts and architecture from the Edwardian period up to the outbreak of the First World War.

However, the founding of the Society took place against the backdrop of an almost universal dislike of the Victorian arts and all things Victorian, with a widespread destruction of Victorian buildings being common place in the post war reconstruction. The Society strove to avoid an over emphasis on London and began forming groups across the UK.

As the Society’s influence grew, so did its membership. By 1970, it had reached 1824 members, which grew to 3200 in 1980. The Society also began to be taken seriously by the Government, as demonstrated in 1969 following the passing of the Town and Country Planning Act. The Society was given a legal role in the consent of listed buildings system, as the Secretary of State decided that all applications involving demolition should be referred to the Society for comment. The Society has become a national society responsible for the study and protection of Victorian and Edwardian architecture, as well as other arts.

Glamorgan Archives, DVS/4/1
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